Davao City eyes face-to-face Kadayawan festival

City Tourism Operations Office (CTOO) Officer-in-Charge Generose Tecson in a report from the City Information Office (CIO) said the Kadayawan Executive Committee will meet to discuss  the face-to-face celebration and eventually for its approval. 

The 2022 Kadayawan Festival is slated on August 15 to 21.

Acting Mayor Sebastian Z. Duterte, earlier signed Executive Order (EO) No. 21, Series of 2022, creating the executive committee and sub-committees for the 2022 Kadayawan sa Davao Festival.

EO 21, known as "An Order Creating The Executive Committee And Sub-Committees Of The 2022 Kadayawan Sa Davao Festival And Defining Its Respective Powers, Functions, And Duties," cited that the festival has been one of the major annual tourism events in the country since its inception in 1988.

The festival, celebrated every third weekend of August, is touted as the country's King of Festivals, recognizing the city's indigenous peoples, abundant harvest, and rich and unique culture and arts.

"In order to properly plan, execute, and ensure the success of this year's celebration and to enable the City Government to effectively carry out its intention to promote the city, its people, its harvest, culture and arts, there is a need to constitute, organize, and create a Kadayawan Executive Committee," the EO stated.

The 2022 Kadayawan Executive Committee is composed of the city mayor or in his/her absence, the city administrator as chairperson and the Davao City Chamber of Commerce and Industry Inc. president as co-chairperson.

The execom members include the Sangguniang Panlungsod Committee on Tourism and Beautification chairperson, the incumbent Indigenous Peoples Mandatory Representative to the Sangguniang Panlungsod, City Budget Office officer-in-charge, Museo Dabawenyo officer-in-charge, City Transport Operations Office (CTOO) officer-in-charge, and assistant city administrator.

The CTOO will spearhead the festival management and serve as the Execom's Secretariat tasked to handle all administrative and secretarial activities.

Execom members shall name their respective alternate representatives in case of their absence.

The Execom shall plan and ensure the smooth coordination of programs, events, and activities in the festival celebration; invite and/or call for a meeting of all national and city government offices, as well as any private person or entity to ensure the successful staging of the festival.

The Execom shall also encourage greater private sector participation in the staging of all events and activities; find ways and means to support the effective implementation of programs, events, and activities during the celebration;

EO 21 also enjoins all national and local government departments and offices to provide the necessary technical and administrative support to the Execom for the efficient staging of the Kadayawan.

All festival and Execom operational costs and incidental expenses shall be chargeable against the funds of the City Government of Davao and private sector sponsorships subject to the usual accounting and auditing rules and regulations.